<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Better Early Than Never by Crystalinastar</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25235476">Better Early Than Never</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Crystalinastar/pseuds/Crystalinastar'>Crystalinastar</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Batman - All Media Types, DCU</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Big Brother Jason Todd, Date Night, F/M, Fluff, Humor, Little brother Tim Drake, steph is confused about dc canon. me too steph, they begrudgingly love each other but will they admit it? please, tim needs sleep and a break</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 03:27:49</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,274</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25235476</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Crystalinastar/pseuds/Crystalinastar</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Steph notices Tim needs a break (and some sleep) and organizes a date night, with help from one Jason Todd.</p><p>-</p><p>A cute little Timsteph drabble I wrote for my friend Cai! (Happy half-birthday!)</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Stephanie Brown &amp; Jason Todd, Stephanie Brown/Tim Drake, Tim Drake &amp; Jason Todd</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>56</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Better Early Than Never</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/bisexualoftheblade/gifts">bisexualoftheblade</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>y'all. go check out my friend cai! their tumblr is @bisexualoftheblade!! and they deserve all the love. (also, they write an incredible steph, see it in action on the rp blog @definitelynotstephaniebrown or on the fic we collabed on a little while back!!) sending all the love to them, they're the best mom</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Stephanie stared towards the ceiling, wishing she could count tiles, but this goddamn mansion couldn’t even give her that. Instead, she scooted her body towards the edge of the bed she was lying down on, letting her head dangle and giving her an upside-down view of her sleep-deprived boyfriend. </p><p>“Hey, Tim, you think stars have feelings?”</p><p>Tim turned around on his swivel chair and adopted a thinking pose. “I mean… sure? Wouldn’t be the weirdest thing. Isn’t there a Green Lantern that’s a planet?”</p><p>Stephanie blinked. “Wait, so you’re saying planets have feelings too? Mother Earth is a real thing?”</p><p>“Poison Ivy claims to control the Green. As does Swamp Thing.”</p><p>“<em>What the fuck? </em> I thought that was just Pam… y’know, being extra.”</p><p>Tim hummed. “Not according to Bruce’s notes.”</p><p>“Yeah, so, speaking of Bruce’s notes,” Stephanie said, sliding off the bed in an attempt at a superhero pose, only to end up falling on her back, “you need a break. You’ve been working for how long now?”</p><p>Standing up like nothing had happened, Stephanie walked over to behind Tim, cupping his face with her hands. Her boyfriend looked adorably confused, his eyes narrowing while the bags under them appeared to swallow his eyes up. “Go to sleep, Boy Blunder. Then, I’m taking you on a date.” She paused and pursed her lips. “I can use your credit card, right?”</p><p>“Sure? But I really need to work on—”</p><p>“Thanks, Tim, and it’s case closed. You look like you haven’t slept in days.” Tim opened his mouth to reply. “Slept for more than an hour at a time!” Tim closed his mouth.</p><p>Stephanie dragged Tim over to his bed, draped a blanket over him, and he went out like a light.</p><p>She grinned. </p><p>Now, she had work to do.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>Jason had better things to do today. Or at least, that’s what he told Steph. </p><p>Steph had pulled him forcefully to the mall anyways, because she was like that. </p><p>“See,” she was telling him now, “I’m gonna have us spend time at an arcade, then dinner, then a late night movie.”</p><p>Jason arched an eyebrow. “<em> Then</em>,” he said, stressing that word to be a (lovable) asshole, “what do you need me for?”</p><p>Steph gave him a deadpan stare. Like this was <em> obvious</em>. “I need you to help Tim get ready, duh. Otherwise he’ll go back to his work. Isn’t he your favorite brother?”</p><p>Jason scoffed. “None of you are my favorite. Except for maybe Cass.”</p><p>“Honestly? Me too. Anyways, we’re talking here because I also need you to help me book all of these at once. Seriously. Tim’s naps never last long.”</p><p>“I take the movie and arcade and you take the restaurant?”</p><p>“Why do <em> I </em>have to take the restaurant? The hosts always look at me all judgy-like.”</p><p>“Yeah, but I’m the undead one. I get to call dibs.”</p><p>“It’s <em> my </em>date!”</p><p>“Too late. I called dibs.”</p><p>Steph stuck her tongue out at Jason, which was fair, but Jason still got to call dibs, so he took it.</p><p>He had better things to do, but this wasn’t too bad, all things considered.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>Tim yawned, covering his mouth. He had work to do, didn’t he? Why did he go to sleep, again? Oh, right, Steph had—</p><p>He froze.</p><p>Sitting in his favorite swivel chair was one <em> despicable </em>Jason Todd. Also known as his annoying older brother. </p><p>Tim groaned. “What are you doing here?”</p><p>Jason grinned wickedly; that was never a good sign. “Your girlfriend put me up to watching you, Replacement. So here I am. Watching you.”</p><p>Ignoring the little flutter in his heart Tim got at Steph being called his girlfriend, he glared at Jason. “Could you watch me a little further away? I have work to do.”</p><p>Tim tried pushing Jason off the chair to no avail. Jason tutted at him. “You forgetting something, Timmy?”</p><p>“Don’t call me Timmy,” he said, thinking back to before he fell asleep. Steph asked him stuff while he worked, told him to go to sleep, and… oh. “The date. I’m supposed to get ready for a date.”</p><p>“Bingo bongo, Replacement!”</p><p>Tim huffed and crossed his arms. “Okay, fine, you’re here to help me remember that. I get it. But can you <em> please </em>move?”</p><p>Jason smirked at him. “We gotta get you into date clothes first, baby bro.”</p><p>“I’m seventeen.”</p><p>“You’ll always be a baby to me,” Jason crowed. “I remember your first steps like they were yesterday.” </p><p>Tim gave Jason an unimpressed stare. “The only person around for my first steps was my nanny.”</p><p>Jason shrugged, though his smirk lost its enthusiasm. “I was there in spirit, baby bro. Anyways.” He clapped his hands together and Tim closed his eyes, almost wanting to go back to sleep. “<em> Clothes</em>.”</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <b>jayjay</b>
</p><p>Are you there yet?</p><p>
  <b>You</b>
</p><p>heading there now, why?</p><p>
  <b>jayjay</b>
</p><p>Uh</p><p>Tim might now be panicking about getting there on time so he’s stealing the Red-Cycle?</p><p>
  <b>You</b>
</p><p>tell him that i said red-cycle is the dumbest fucking name, just patent r-cycle already</p><p>and that he’s adorable</p><p>
  <b>jayjay </b>
</p><p>Will do</p><p>Now he’s blushing and stammering. You’re going to make him late</p><p>
  <b>You</b>
</p><p>better late than never!</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>Tim flattened out his shirt, now awake enough (after some Red Bulls he sneakily chugged down while Jason wasn’t looking) to be nervous. Steph was… she was the best. She was a light to his darkness, she spoiled his bad moods. That wasn’t a good pun. But Steph liked bad puns, so Tim thought it was okay.</p><p>Jason had decided to stick around by his side, for whatever reason, and he had his arm slung around Tim’s shoulder like a protective older brother. Tim didn’t mind it, actually, the physical contact helped soothe some of his jitters. </p><p>He didn’t want to become <em> too </em> dependent on physical contact, though, so he shoved off Jason’s arm when he caught a glimpse of Steph approaching in a purple—eggplant, to be specific—dress, which was casual but not <em> too </em> casual. She was always gorgeous, but <em> wow </em>. </p><p>Steph grinned, literally lighting up when she saw him. She ran towards him and planted a fat kiss on his lips. “I’m glad <em> someone </em>did their job,” she said, glancing at Jason. </p><p>“It’s not like I had anything better to do,” Jason told her. </p><p>Steph rolled her eyes. “Oh, so <em> now </em>you admit it,” she muttered. “Anyways, babe, ready to go?”</p><p>Tim smiled at her and was about to tell her, “Yes,” when—</p><p>“I feel like I should give one of you the shovel talk. Can’t decide who.”</p><p>“Oh my god, Jason, get <em> away</em>.”</p><p>“Let us make out in peace, please.”</p><p>Tim whipped his head around to face Steph. “You want to make out <em> now</em>? I don't mind, but isn’t that a little early?” </p><p>“Better early than never!” Steph declared, leaning in for another kiss and pushing Tim towards a wall. </p><p>“Yeah, okay, I’m leaving, geez,” Jason said, turning on his heel and sprinting, cackling all the while. Tim’s cheeks heated up.</p><p>“Hey, Steph?” he said, pulling apart from her. “Aren’t we gonna be late to… whatever?”</p><p>“Better late than never!”</p><p>“But you said—”</p><p>“Do you want to make out or not?”</p><p>“Shutting up now.”</p><p>“Yeah, that’s what I thought. Better early than never, don’t forget that, Tim.”</p><p>Tim let his eyes close as Steph leaned in again, holding the back of her head so he wouldn’t lose himself in her touch and letting himself be closer to her in one short move. He wasn’t sure anymore why he was nervous—Steph being here meant this date would go well.</p><p>And after all, he had a bad case of the Stephs.</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
</body>
</html>